Ha, I really enjoyed reading this article. I too was a BBS nerd although I don't have any stories about the cops showing up. I did rack up a pretty hefty bill for Q-link(Commodore 64 site) one month that my parents kinda freaked over (I was talking to a girl on there so minus geek-points for me)
I do remember one awkward moment with the neighbours though. I ran a BBS and eventually reached a point where I decided that a single (dedicated) was not enough. However, since our house was only wired for two lines, and the other was our voice line, the local utility had to dig through the neighbours yards to install it. I don't think my parents or neighbours (or even the phone company) understood what was going on but gave it the nod anyway.
But my friends who stole batteries, modems and computer equipment from traffic and train-crossing control boxes? Yeah those guys got in trouble.

Twenty-four years ago today, I had a very bad day. On August 8, 1988, I was a senior in high school. I was working my after school and weekend job at Safeway as a cashier, when the store manager suddenly walked over and said I better stop ringing up customers and talk to my mother on the stor...